


A Hunger That Rests In The Soul

by Exorciststuck



Series: Johndaveweek 2017 [7]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Except Dave isn't John's Knight, Forbidden Romance, M/M, Prince and Knight AU, Prospit and Derse AU, johndaveweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 06:59:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11458422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Exorciststuck/pseuds/Exorciststuck
Summary: A forbidden romance is never all drama and tears, sometimes its an ache that can only be soothed by a quiet night stolen away from the world.Luckily, Dave knows all the quiet places.





	A Hunger That Rests In The Soul

The thing about Prospit was that even at night the moon shined brightly, bathing the world in a golden glow that was comparable to the brightest parts of Derse, even if it was the dimmest part of a Prospitan day. Despite that, this time of day when the colours were washed out and the shadows of gold were turned a murky blue in the cool wash of the atmosphere was when Prospit went to sleep.

It was during this time, with Prospit at its dimmest, that John should have been at his most tired. Instead, he found himself sitting up in bed, forcing his eyes adjust to the relative dark as he waited impatiently for what was sure to come. What was promised.

The telltale sound of rocks landing on his balcony made jump, abandoning the soft give of his bed, glancing only briefly at the guarded door to his chambers before he’d run out into the crisp night air. He leaned over, excitement clear on his face as he searched the sky, before finally catching sight of Dave hovering expertly between the blind spots of his guard’s view out the vast windows of the palace.

When he saw John, he raised his arms to the sky dramatically. “Johneo, Johneo, wherefore art thou Johneo-“

“Shut up, you sound like a dumbass,” John gestured for Dave to come closer, clearly endeared despite his sharp words. Briefly stunned by the brilliant white of Dave’s teeth catching on the moonlight when he smiled, even with most of his face obscured by a hood, John hadn’t realised how eagerly Dave had closed in on him. It made him smile as well, and Dave beamed even brighter when John held his cheeks and pulled him in for a long kiss, both of them laughing softly by the end of it. 

Letting out a sigh, Dave began to press light kisses onto the sharp edge of John’s jaw. “I missed you so fucking much, you don’t even know, all this fucking politics bullshit is killing me.”

Feeling a little guilty (although John knew that wasn’t Dave’s intention, and knew it was as much out of his control as it was his boyfriend’s,) John drew back and kissed Dave again, before tenderly running his hand through his hair. “I know, it sucks and its awful and I miss you all the time too. But you’re here now, right? I don’t want to think about how much I miss you when you’re actually here!”

Like magic, Dave’s cranky expression smoothed over, another sigh escaping him before he nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. No use dwelling on it. Night ain’t gonna last forever either, better get going.”

They had to be sneaky about it, considering the problems it would cause if the born royal knight of Derse was seen canoodling across the sketchier parts of Derse with the heir to the Prospitan throne. Sure, with enough excuses and good political moves they’d be able to quiet down the public, but the potential retribution from their respective families and the blackmail potential from enemies were enough to keep them meeting in secret alone.

Luckily, without the golden crown and shimmering fabrics of Prospit on his body, John looked like a completely different person. In fact, decked out in deep gunmetal and black clothing that Dave had personally gifted to him, he fit perfectly in the streets of Derse. Dave looked similarly unfamiliar without either his armour or his ceremony clothes, and with dark glasses hiding his stunning red eyes, so that the only sign of his Dersite heritage was a purple jewel which hung high on his neck. Still, it was unremarkable, and neither of them drew any attention as they ran together, Dave holding his hand tightly as he led him through winding dark alleyways. 

When they finally entered the small restaurant of their choice, he was glad for the change of scenery. The warm air was a welcome feeling right as the chill of night had begun to seep into his bones. The smell of spices and warmth was enticing, the seating area so cozy that only three booths occupied the space. Sitting down, Dave gestured over a server for a menu, and John sat back to breathe it all in.

Rather than sit across from him, Dave had made the decision settle on the same side, allowing John to lean his head onto his shoulder, still a little sleepy from the time of night and the warmth beginning to bare down on him. Stifling a yawn, he squinted down at the menu, only to give up and brush his hand against Dave’s arm. “What’s good?”

“I thought maybe you and me could share a bowl? They’re pretty big, wouldn’t want you getting in a food coma before our time together runs out.”

“Well, pick anything then, you know what I can’t eat,” he pressed a kiss onto Dave’s cheek, smiling against the skin when Dave pressed into it. They were both always so touch starved, desperate to get as much affection out of each other as was possible, and John was always thrilled when Dave responded to him, like every time he was reminded of the two-way street of his affections. 

He barely heard Dave speak their order to the server, caught up in the sound of his voice rather than the content of it. Dave always spoke so softly at night, and while John knew just how loud he could get (after all, he’d seen him all riled up and excited when speaking about something important to him, his arms moving in time with his words,) but when they were like this, he spoke as if every word was a whisper intended for John, practically mouthing the words right into his ear, letting his warm breath tickle John’s skin. 

“We had a whole boatload of foreign dignitaries show up this weekend, had to stand on my feet for ten goddamn fuckin’ hours ‘cause you ain’t allowed to float on the job. It’s pretty dumb, they don’t even go up to my waist and I’m supposed to be on guard in case they attack? Don’t judge your opponent by their size and shit, sure, but if they messed with me all of Derse is gonna go off the wall stomping their kingdom into the dirt, and they know.”

“It’s good for weeding out the weak though. I know it’s your birthright and all, but Prospit hasn’t sired a knight, we have to appoint one. Our options are… Eh. I mean, Vantas is doing the best right now physically, but you’ve met him! He was there when your family came for the last trade discussion! I’ve never met someone so incapable of at least pretending to care about political manners. If he can’t get his act together, he’s not going to get chosen, even if he can throw a spear really far.”

“That’s pretty sick, actually. Can I find an excuse to hang around the castle and see this?” Dave snorted, his lips finding John’s temple easily. “Fuckin’ dumbass can’t even knight right when all he’s gotta do is sit there and look strong enough to make people think twice about pulling out their swords and shit. How the fuck do you even mess that one up? Seems pretty fucking basic to me, just don’t get caught fingerfucking your nose and you’re set for life.”

“It’s just that he can’t shut up, usually. One time it was that he started making weird faces at the seer. I get that she’s blind, but come on! Talk about rude.”

Dave laughed again, covering his mouth with his hand to muffle the sound. He only stopped when the server came with their food, placing the large bowl of soup and two deep spoons down before politely excusing himself. Once more the scent of spices came in full force, and John took a deep breath, his glasses fogging. Frustrated, he took them off and put them aside- he was so close to Dave that it was fine, he was the only thing John wanted to see anyway. 

The soup felt hot even sitting near it, steam rising high off the bowl to curl into the air above them, but Dave was brave enough to blow on a spoonful and eat it, only to bring another lovingly blown on spoonful towards John’s lips, waiting expectantly. It was the type of sappy thing John had always shied away from in his movies, feeling a wave of second-hand embarrassment at the sight. But now with it actually happening, he felt nothing but warmth as he leaned in and tasted the thick broth. 

And how past him would have been red in the face to see him now, lifting a spoon to do the same to Dave! He probably would have passed out, John thought with a strange sort of glee. Luckily, his past self was spared from the shame of it all. 

They fed each other through most of the bowl, only stopping when their wrists got tired of holding out towards the other. Not that it mattered, Dave was obnoxious in the way he’d lean over and try to steal any tantalizing bits of meat John fished out of the soup, and John learned quickly that if he whispered anything sweet and embarrassing enough to Dave, his grip on the spoon would wobble and he’d lose anything inside it back to the bowl. 

Somehow- likely due to their youth and the large stomach that came with it- the two of them made it through the bowl entirely, leaving a hearty tip so they could walk out of the restaurant hand in hand, feeling even more warm and touchy now that their stomachs were pleasantly full. 

John led Dave back to Prospit, holding his hand tight as they made their way from the comforting blanket of darkness back into the ethereal glow of Prospit’s golden moon. The streets were largely empty, the people of Prospit all asleep in their beds or in Derse enjoying its more vibrant nightlife, and the two of them slipped easily back towards the balcony of John’s chambers.

Normally, Dave would leave then. But it’d been longer since they’d last seen each other, a whole month rather than the week they were used to, and John’s ache for him was still strong. Feeling bold and desperate for more, he’d held Dave close, kissing at the tender spot on his neck that made his knees weak.

“It’s still dark out Dave, you should come inside.”

It may have seemed salacious, but neither of them had much intent to spend their limited time together that way- not after so long apart. Instead, they wasted the night away drawing their hands over each other, tracing patterns into the other’s skin and whispering so, so softly it was barely audible. They whispered about their days, the weeks they had spent apart and the things they had seen. And about the future, how they would spend it together, how they’d make it work so they could stop living away from each other for so long. Finally, they whispered nonsense romance to each other, the words sticky and heavy with sap, leaving John heavy with exhaustion.

He fell asleep holding Dave’s hand, his face pressed close to share each breath. 

When he awoke, he was predictably alone. Despite that, his bones were heavy from a good sleep characteristic only of when he embraced it with Dave at his side. The memory of last night with Dave’s hand in his own made him smile, sleepy and private. It was only when he sat up, intending to go shower away any lingering smells of spices and Derse that he saw the message printed in messy black on the skin of his arm.

‘next saturday good? i love you’

The little things made every moment apart worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> its not forbidden because its gay fuck that how boring and cliche
> 
> its just politcally naughty for a heir and a knight to get caught smooching in the alleyway, how scandalous
> 
> happy jd week!!! what a doozy i loved every minute


End file.
